Wisdom really does come with age. Thinking back to my early 20s—compared to what I now know at 40—there are so many life lessons and bits of knowledge that I consider invaluable. Directly out of high school, I served 9 years in the Army National Guard, worked 35 hours each week as a shoe salesman, was an assistant high school wrestling coach, and attended school (full-time!) to complete my undergrad degree. One could easily view the successful involvement in all of these commitments as someone who is making great choices at an early age. However, I’m sure we’ve all heard the old saying: “Work smarter, not harder.” I’d say this short statement sums up the advice I needed to take as a young man.
For instance, the reason why I worked so many hours in college was because I wanted to fund my social life, support my spending habits, and climb the socio-economic ladder. I recall many times eating poorly and depriving my body of sleep. Not once did I fail to meet my obligations. However, my behavior was destructive to my physical health. That said, since I was juggling so many different responsibilities, I recall not making the most of my educational, military, and coaching opportunities. Rather, my main focus was on my management career and generating more income. I finished my undergrad program with a cumulative GPA just above a 3.0, and my accomplishments in the military were few. I left coaching to pursue a career in sales management that eventually led to 7 years away from coaching—and a realization that life was more than promotions, paychecks, and possessions.
As coaches and leaders, we must learn from our past, be self-reflective, work smarter (not harder), and use current research-based methods to effectively lead others.
So,
at the age of 31, I found myself unhappy in my career, facing health
problems, and dealing with a tough family decision. This
decision—heavily influenced by the previous 7 years of experiences in
management, my passion for coaching and working with adolescents, and my
faith in God—was about whether I’d leave my management career to return
to school full-time and accept an offer as the head wrestling coach at a
local high school. As they say, the rest is history. After much prayer
and consideration, my wife and I decided to take a leap of faith and we
spent the next two years living off my wrestling paycheck and my wife’s
income while I completed my Pre-K–12 teaching licensure requirements.
Today, I’m the father of 4 amazing children, happily married for 15
years, a full-time elementary P.E. teacher, and head high school
wrestling coach.
What does my story have to do with being an autonomy-supportive leader?
Namely, my story is about the importance of learning from the past—and as mentioned earlier, work smarter, not harder. I've learned the importance of supporting autonomy in my own life and those I lead. Autonomy is when our actions are aligned with our values and interests.
Namely, my story is about the importance of learning from the past—and as mentioned earlier, work smarter, not harder. I've learned the importance of supporting autonomy in my own life and those I lead. Autonomy is when our actions are aligned with our values and interests.
If only I could write a
note to myself 20 years ago in 2000 when I first began as an assistant
high school wrestling coach and started studying to be a Pre-K–12 P.E.
teacher. I’d tell myself, “Jason, the road of choosing a career based on
the size of your paycheck is long, painful, and harmful to your
relationships and your health. Choose passion over promotions, pick
people over possessions, and opt for your well-being over wealth. Stay
in coaching and complete your degree in Pre-K–12 P.E. vs. changing to
Sports Management. I know it’s hard to imagine making half the income
leading to happiness, but God has a plan for you. His plan is for you to
have a relationship with Him, spend quality time with your family, be
healthy, and make a positive impact on the lives of students.” That
said, as coaches and leaders, we must learn from our past, be
self-reflective, work smarter (not harder), and use current
research-based methods to effectively lead others (adolescents).
Why be an autonomy-supportive coach or leader?
The simplest answer is because it produces three important elements for the health and well-being of those you lead. Autonomy-supportive leadership produces competence, relatedness, and autonomy, which lead to greater motivation, more enjoyment, improved performance, and—most importantly—healthier adolescents. John Wooden once said, “The best thing we could do for those we love is to not do what they’re capable of doing for themselves.”
What does it mean to be an autonomy-supportive coach or leader?
Why be an autonomy-supportive coach or leader?
The simplest answer is because it produces three important elements for the health and well-being of those you lead. Autonomy-supportive leadership produces competence, relatedness, and autonomy, which lead to greater motivation, more enjoyment, improved performance, and—most importantly—healthier adolescents. John Wooden once said, “The best thing we could do for those we love is to not do what they’re capable of doing for themselves.”
What does it mean to be an autonomy-supportive coach or leader?
Being
a great coach isn’t about wins and losses. It’s about the impact you
have on the lives of young people. Many have argued that the coach is
the most significant shaper of values and life skills for adolescent
athletes. As coaches looking to positively impact the lives of our
athletes, we must be willing to continuously grow, learn, and adapt to
what works. No different than the world of sports has evolved in the
areas of sports nutrition and strength training, coaches must evolve in
their coaching methods. As Emerson said, “A lot of people think the kids
have changed. But I think it’s more that we have realized that the way
we used to coach just doesn’t work very well anymore. I think the burden
is on the coach to be flexible, grow, and learn to be self-aware.” As
an autonomy-supportive coach, you consider the way you structure
practice and game situations, processes used to make decisions, quality
and quantity of feedback, motivational techniques, and relationships
established with those you lead.
7 ways to be an autonomy-supportive leader
- Offer choices. Allow them to make decisions about some aspects of a training session.
- Provide a rationale for tasks, limits, & rules. Today’s adolescents want to know the “why.”
- Ask about and acknowledge feelings. Get to know adolescents as people first and (student-athletes) second.
- Promote responsibility. Allow adolescents to create and deliver a training drill.
- Provide non-controlling, corrective feedback. It’s important for your comments to be constructive, build competence, and be process-focused rather than outcome-focused. Use HPRC’s tips for effective praise to help teach when giving feedback.
- Avoid guilt-inducing criticisms and controlling statements. Offer assessments that focus on behavior, not personal character.
- Leave your ego at the door. Encourage them to define success through measures of improvement, effort, and working toward perfecting a task or skill (mastery orientation), while avoiding team rivalries and social comparisons.
About the Author
Jason Puderbaugh served in the U.S. Army National Guard from 1997–2006. He’s currently a P.E. teacher (grades K–5) and head high school wrestling coach. Jason received a B.A. in P.E. Emphasis in Sports Management and PreK–12 Education from Washburn University, and he’s currently pursuing a M.Ed. in Positive Coaching at the University of Missouri.
* The opinions and assertions expressed herein are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of USU or DoD. The contents of this publication are the sole responsibility of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views, opinions, or policies of The Henry M. Jackson Foundation for the Advancement of Military Medicine, Inc. Mention of trade names, commercial products, or organizations does not imply endorsement by the U.S. Government. The author has no financial interests or relationships to disclose.
Jason Puderbaugh served in the U.S. Army National Guard from 1997–2006. He’s currently a P.E. teacher (grades K–5) and head high school wrestling coach. Jason received a B.A. in P.E. Emphasis in Sports Management and PreK–12 Education from Washburn University, and he’s currently pursuing a M.Ed. in Positive Coaching at the University of Missouri.
* The opinions and assertions expressed herein are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of USU or DoD. The contents of this publication are the sole responsibility of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views, opinions, or policies of The Henry M. Jackson Foundation for the Advancement of Military Medicine, Inc. Mention of trade names, commercial products, or organizations does not imply endorsement by the U.S. Government. The author has no financial interests or relationships to disclose.
